This is Alexander Liebreich’s first recording since he took over
artistic directorship of the Munich Chamber Orchestra from Christoph
Poppen. ‘Classical’ ECM fans will almost certainly have one or
more of their releases, and I am very pleased to say that the
immaculately high standards of playing, as well as the excellent
ECM recording and invariably interesting and often adventurous
programming are richly continued in this fascinating disc. Liebreich
has a special affection for the music of Isang Yun, whose music
he came to learn during an extended stay in Korea, so it is not
entirely surprising that he would be an early contender for inclusion.
Alexander
Liebreich’s choice of these two minor-key symphonies by Haydn
is clearly the result of the experimental nature of their form,
as well as the sheer inventiveness and dramatic extremes of
expression in the music. His approach to Haydn is intuitive,
if not entirely unambiguous: “The question of style is not so
urgent, and it’s been debated long enough. This music is straightforward
and speaks so clearly for itself that we no longer have to ask
ourselves how we want to play it.” Listening to these recordings,
and it is clear that Liebreich and his musicians have the ability
to allow the music to speak for itself, without abandoning any
sense of commitment. Their interpretative savvy means that all
of the dynamism is there in spades, the phrasing and shaping
of forms on a micro and macro level all feel very ‘right’, and
the reduced number of players compared with a full symphony
orchestra makes for a tight ensemble, without relinquishing
any of the dynamic range or much in the way of weight. There
is more than a hint of HIPness about the playing, and vibrato
is certainly kept on a very tight leash, but that just all adds
to the transparency of the whole thing. An intensely expressive
but genuinely ‘simple’ movement such as the Adagio second
movement from the ‘Farewell’ symphony becomes a thing of gossamer
delicacy with these players, and this contrast between the wild
rhythmically driven movements for me creates exactly the right
atmosphere, and amply demonstrates the reasons for these works
being so exciting and stimulating, even today. The final ‘farewell’
of the Symphony No.45 is very nicely done as an extended,
non-gimmicky fadeout, and the muted strings right at the end
are truly magical.
I
did wonder about the programme, putting Isang Yun’s Chamber
Symphony I at the end, and it might indeed have gone well
between the two symphonies, with the ‘farewell’ providing a
marvellous open-ended conclusion. The combination between Haydn
and Yun might raise an eyebrow or two, but Liebreich is unapologetic
regarding the ‘yin yan’ extremes between the two composer’s
idioms. Where Haydn is essentially rhythmic in the two symphonies,
Yun’s music is very much based on the ‘cantando’ or singing
tradition in his native country. This results in a fairly continuous
‘stream’ of melodic sound, but the idiom of the music is far
from difficult. The only real difficulty in this juxtaposition
is the differences in performing style which emerge. There is
consistency with the instrumentation: all of these pieces have
oboes, horns and strings, but the sound-world in the modern
piece is inevitably very different to Haydn. The horns have
a far more solistic role, strings and oboes bring an entirely
different intensity with vibrato and other effects, so it is
as much the colour of the orchestra as the material in the music
which contrasts one composer from the other.
Liebreich’s
own comments on the music are a good starting point: “[This
piece] comes from a period in Yun’s career when his personal
style - his pattern of an ever-ascending stream of sound - had
fully emerged. The stream of sound flows on, articulated by
a principle of action and reaction... One impulse triggers a
counter-impulse: it’s yin and yang, the microcosm in the macrocosm.
A sharp pizzicato in the bass, say, will be answered by a violent
gesture in the high register.” This allied to some relatively
clear tonal centres, some sliding around on the strings and
oboes, and the appearance of a tripartite structure with a softer,
more overtly ‘chamber music’ central section, and there are
fewer problems and much more to enjoy here than you might expect.
There is even a quirkiness which, for my ears, conjures the
kind of wit which almost gives a nod towards Malcolm Arnold
– certainly the two oboes in thirds in the central section and
some of the horn ‘whoops’ later on have this effect, though
Yun’s intention may of course have been entirely different.
This does however give an idea of what you might be able to
expect – no need for nightmares.
This
is a genuinely substantial and fascinating programme of expertly
performed chamber orchestral music. Whatever versions of the Haydn
Symphonies you may have on your shelves, these will, I suspect,
become the ones you keep for special private moments alone when
you have nothing to look forward to but a good book and a lie-in
the next morning. Isang Yun’s piece is a bit more of a challenge,
but what a tremendous way of tantalising your little grey cells.
I heartily recommend this disc, and look forward to seeing what
ECM and Alexander Liebreich come up with next.
Dominy Clements
Münchener Kammerorchester/Alexander
Liebreich 
